It is true that there are certain law schools that have better programs in patent law than others. While it's not absolutely necessary to go to one of the top intellectual property law schools in the nation in order to gain employment as a patent attorney, it may help to go to a more prestigious school.
The biggest advantage is that going to a law school with a higher reputation will help you find your first job. Hiring agents will scan your resume quickly and the higher reputation law schools will most certainly catch their attention. In many cases, individuals who graduate from top tier law schools (whether those specializing in intellectual property or not) will have their pick of the jobs.
Many law schools offer classes in patent law. While these classes will not help you pass the patent bar exam and they probably won't really help you in your future career (experience is what's really needed), you may want to take a class or two if offered. Keep in mind that many patent attorneys never enrolled in a patent law course in law school. Most hiring agents will not ask you to list the exact courses you took in law school.
